Love Burn, Florida’s answer to Burning Man, is held annually at Virginia Key Beach Park in Miami. From February 13 to 16, 8,000 attendees will immerse themselves in the mesmerizing, themed universe—this year’s theme is “Realms of the Underworld.” The four-day event features large- and small-scale interactive art installations and themed community camps, culminating with the burning of a giant heart effigy on the final night.
Love Burn thrives on the creativity of artists from around the globe, including some of St. Pete’s finest local talent. These artists will soon transport their projects in pieces across Alligator Alley to Love Burn’s Realms of the Underworld for installation. Notable St. Pete artists participating this year include Myco Focal, Alex Kaufman, Ethan Harmon, Devon Constant, and Austin Van Der Bleek.
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Some St. Pete artists are returning veterans of Love Burn. Myco Focal, for example, is responsible for SkyBar, a seven-story scaffolded observation deck and cocktail bar. Focal has been working on SkyBar for 12 years, modifying its design annually and expanding its pyro-technic ability. For other artists, like Ethan Harmon, this will be their first time at Love Burn. Newcomers provide a fresh take for event-goers, while the veterans augment recurring installations, ensuring each iteration of Love Burn evolves and builds upon the last.
Artists from the Warehouse Arts District play a role
Including artists from the Warehouse Arts District (WADA) helps corroborate the district’s growing appeal, as USA Today recently nominated WADA as one of America’s top 20 arts districts. Newcomer Ethan Harmon is one such WADA artist. His piece, titled “Radiance Resonance,” will appear on the beach at Love Burn and consists of abstract diamonds coalescing into a sunflower of solar panels. Considering its showing on the beach, Harmon says, “Hoping it has a good presence with the shadows and the way the light hits it.” Harmon credits the largesse of MGA Sculpture Studio for allowing him to use their equipment.
MGA Sculpture Studio artist Alex Kaufman is returning for his second year. Last year, Kaufman installed The Tower of Iridisco, a 22-foot twisting hexagonal tower made of frosted iridescent panels. Event-goers were invited to enter the tower, which was pumped with 24/7 disco mixes. “It sounds silly because I make permanent, good art for a living,” says Kaufman. “But it’s fun to make art for the sake of everyone having a good time.” The Creative Pinellas’ Emerging Artists Program funded an earlier version of the project. Kaufman expanded the piece this year and is turning it into The Hall of Iridisco.
Artists like Devin Constant incorporate technology into their work, creating interactive experiences. Constant, who owns the newly founded art gallery The Lemonade Stand in WADA, is returning for his third Love Burn with his “Apothic Polygon.” It’s an “Intentional tension sculpture,” says Constant. “It’s made with tensegrity, reclaimed parts, and an AI projection map that generates a magic mirror. A motion capture camera feed of people dancing in front of it, and an AI-augmented video feed displayed back on the screen, perfectly complementing this year’s theme: Realms of the Underworld.”
St. Pete artists and project descriptions
- Austyn Van Der Bleek: While not a visual artist, Van Der Bleek is returning to Love Burn for his fourth year performing as a professional DJ. “Love Burn is not a festival, it’s a gathering that celebrates art,” says Van Der Bleek. “I DJ as an artist here, but outside the ‘Burn’ it’s more constrained operating in a commercial environment. That’s what’s really nice at Love Burn, it’s pure expression.” Van Der Bleek DJs down tempo, reggae, disco, house, techno, ambient, funk, soul, and afro-beat.
- Alex Kaufman: Returning for his second year, Kaufman is building on his 22-foot Tower of Iridisco from last year, expanding it to The Hall of Iridisco. Kaufman says he will continue to expand its footage slightly each year as a joke, so it’s longer each year than the occupants remember. Kaufman says, “It is just fun to make something fun and contribute to what I would say is the best four day party…It is awesome to see how St Pete creatives shape the event, bringing some of the best work in the entire state.”
- Devin Constant: Returning for his third year, Constant will showcase his “Apothic Polygon”, an “Intentional tension sculpture” made with tensegrity, reclaimed parts, and an AI projection map that generates a magic mirror. A motion capture camera feed of people dancing in front of it, and an AI-augmented video feed displays on the screen. “I love St. Pete because it has great potential for being an art hub,” says Constant. Constant currently runs The Lemonade Stand (2634 Emerson Ave S.), a studio, event space, and immersive art gallery.
- Myco Focal: Focal has been adding to his seven-story scaffolding observation deck and cocktail bar called “Sky Bar” for over 12 years, and he has participated in Love Burn for the last seven years. “Sky Bar” represents an in memorium for Matthew Blakey, a DC architect who designed US embassies. “Sky Bar” expanded its pyro-technic capability and has a new mystery for this year that Focal cannot share. Last year, however, he introduced chandeliers and features on the cocktail bar. Sky Bar also fires three rockets that set the heart effigy ablaze during the culminating night of Love Burn.
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